One of the first questions I get when I tell people that I am studying Geophysics is: "What is Geophysics?" It is a question that requires a bit more information. There are many sub-disciplines of Geophysics such as Whole Earth Geophysics, Exploration Geophysics, Planetary Physics, etc. While there are many of these sub-disciplines it may take a lifetime to simply explore one of these particular disciplines. Whole Earth Geophysics is primarily a field that deals with the physics of the Earth (and other planets) and processes which are involved in the evolution of the planet and the product of this evolution we see today at the surface. This ranges from the convection in the liquid outer core and the magnetic field to convection in the lower/middle mantle to the mineral physics that guide the behavior of various regions within the earth. While this is a brief introduction to some of the interests of Whole Earth Geophysicists it is by no means complete. Throughout my education I have mainly focused on Whole Earth Geophysics but recently I have tried to narrow my focus to that of intra-continental forces that lead to the ultimate product of what we see today on the continental scale. Of particular interest of late is the properties and attributes of what we in the Geophysics community call the asthenosphere (the relatively thin concentric shell located from approx. ~200 - 410 km depth, depending on defining properties) and the behavior of this particular region and it's impact on crustal processes. It is here that forces within the Earth, by means of convection, release heat build up within the depths of the Earth. The physical properties of the asthenosphere are such that it's viscosity is much lower than the crust and it's mantle components (lithosphere) and therefore flows much more readily. This flow allows for continued heat release to the lithosphere and is further transmitted out of the earth through conduction (The figure to the right is taken from the NASA website and shows viscosity variations and vorticity in mantle flow). An analogy that might be easy to visualize for those in the colder climates is a spring-fed lake. During the spring months the first regions for the ice to break is where the spring enters the lake. The ice is simply skating on an intricate 3D flow pattern in the water below. Such as it is for the Earth. My interests are in the flow patterns and the impact of these flow patterns on the evolution of our planet.

While this is yet a theoretical interest, the skills I hope to acquire while pursuing these interests do have practical applications. I will be using seismicity as the main tool to "see" within the Earth. The processing of this seismic signal is a relatively intricate process involving various mathematical techniques which can also be applied to much more relevant topics such as Exploration Geophysics as well as Earthquake Physics. These processing techniques are also integral with other Geophysical techniques to explore much shallower depths even down to depths as little as 1-3 meters which may be of great use in the site planning of larger commercial construction projects.

For those who are somewhat unfamiliar with the field of Geophysics I would like to convey a small but highly overlooked aspect of this field, as well as all other disciplines of the Earth Sciences; Earth Scientists are truly amazing people and I have enjoyed the company of many of such people. If you have the chance to spend some time with an Earth Scientist I am sure you will agree!

I have included a few links located at the top of the page that will take you to various places. While I haven't been able to put as much work as I'd like to into this website, I am hoping to have much more information available here in the future. These links will mainly be of interest to the casual viewers and to potential employers.

This page was last updated on 04/11/07.

Please report any problems with this page to steven@angelheartwoodworking.com